Unexplained Paranoia
by istoletheTARDIS
Summary: My first attempt at fanfiction. Gwen is being stalked by a rogue alien. Eventual Gwack! :D
1. Chapter 1

Greetings, human person. If you are planning on reading this, I am going to give you some warning... This is my FIRST EVER attempt at fanfiction writing. It will probably absolutely suck. So please, people, be nice.

**Disclaimer: **Torchwood is not mine. If it was... *drools*

**Rating: **T. Absolutely nothing even semi-offensive in this chapter, though- i'm just rating it a T because I like the letter T. It's probably more like a K.

**Title: **I just made it up on the spot. Who knows... it might stick.

**Spoilers: **Absolutely none. Well, none that I remember typing.

Read on... if you dare.

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**Unexplained Paranoia**

Chapter 1: Gwen returns

Owen was in the autopsy room, trying to nut out what had possibly happened to the weevil sliced open in front of him. There was no trace of poison, no bullet wound, and no signs of trauma to the head or spine. It hadn't drowned, and there wasn't anything else he could think of that could be the cause of death. He would have to slice open the head. He sighed. He'd been trying to avoid that; weevil brain fluid was messy, and it _stank_.

Toshiko was (as usual) sitting at her computer, doing who knows what. Clever person stuff.

The huge cog-like door to the hub grinded ever so slowly open, as Gwen stepped through -bearing a package. She began the ascent into the main area of the hub, as the one and only Captain Jack Harkness bounded down the stairs from his office/bedroom.

"Hello there, Miss Cooper. And _why _are you late on such fine a day as this?" Gwen smiled, and gestured to the package.

"You asked me to pick this lot up here, _Captain _Jack. Might I add; it was all the way on the other side of blooming town! What's in it, anyway?"

"Secret." He flashed his brilliant, cryptic half-smile, and crushed her into a bone-crushing bear hug.

"Ahh, it's great to see you again! It's been way too quiet without the Welshwoman here to talk our ears off!" Gwen smacked at his arm playfully. She'd just returned from a holiday in France with Rhys. It had been cut short, due to the local hospital calling with the news of his sick father. Even though he got on Rhys's nerves sometimes, he was his father. And he loved him.

"Someone's back early." Gwen turned around to see Ianto. Of course he'd be the one to know if she was a few days off schedule.

"Yeah, Rhys's dad's sick. We had to come back yesterday."

"Oh no! Gwen, I'm sorry. Glad you're back, though. OWEN! GET YOUR BUTT AROUND HERE!" Gwen hugged Toshiko, who'd just appeared out of thin air. She noticed Jack slip away up to his office, and felt something strange. Almost a form of emptiness, at the loss of his presence. How odd.

"Jack's right, it was quiet without you here." Gwen pulled herself back into the current conversation.

"Oh, god. I'm not that loud, am I?"

"No! It's just… I don't know… more cheery with you here. Everyone was quieter without you. Even Jack seemed to shut up about his past alien relationships a bit."

"Wow."

"I know." Owen walked into view.

"Oh. Hey, newbie." Gwen grinned.

"Owen! You can't call her that; god, she's been with us for 2 years."

"Oh, Tosh, I don't mind. Really." Gwen said.

"Yeah, Gwen doesn't mind. Look, I've got some alien brain slicing to do, mind if I leave?"

"Sure. Catch up later!" Owen headed back into the autopsy room, and Tosh wandered back to her computer.

"How'd Jack know you'd be back early?" Ianto asked. Wow. Ianto, the man who knows everything, was asking a question. Well… there's a first time for everything.

"I mean, he must've known you were coming… he got you to bring him a package, and said you were late."

"I called. I decided to keep it a surprise for everyone else." Gwen replied, smiling.

"Oh. Well, that makes sense. Coffee?"

"Yes please!" Ianto laughed at her enthusiasm.

"They just don't have coffee the same in France." Gwen explained. Ianto set off for the kitchen to start making coffee. Gwen wasn't sure what to do. Everyone seemed to have a task; she decided to go talk to Jack and find out what was going on in the world of Torchwood.

Jack was locking something in one of his desk drawers when she let herself into his office and walked over to him.

"Hey!" He leapt up and ruffled her hair, Gwen attempting to duck away from him.

"Oi! Watch the hair, Jackyboy." Jack laughed.

"Never!" He said, grinning. He looked at her properly for the first time since she'd arrived. He saw the beginnings of bags under her eyes, and her eyes themselves weren't the bright, alert brown he was used to. She held herself slightly stiffly, as if she were fatigued. She should take better care of herself; Rhys wasn't the only one who cared about her.

"You look tired."

"I am." Gwen said, warily. She wondered idly how Jack had managed to notice.

"You were meant to be on holiday!" Jack scolded.

"Just because I was on holiday, doesn't mean I got lots of sleep. The last 72 hours have been manic with packing, trying to get flights and the rest. I haven't had any sleep for at least 30 hours."

"You shouldn't have come if you're that tired. And you were _driving! _You could've crashed! Worse, you could've _died!" _Jack shuddered. Just the mere thought of losing Gwen… Hang on. No. What? He couldn't let his thoughts get this protective of her. Hell, he'd shown enough of his feelings that day back in the shooting range. Gwen has a fiancé, Jack. He told himself. Don't get ahead of yourself. And you've got Ianto. Don't be greedy. But it was _Gwen…_

"Woah, calm down! Don't panic- I was fine to drive. Really. And Rhys needed me. He's in a tough place at the moment." Gwen tried not to give away the fact that she actually agreed with him- she was completely exhausted. Ugh, imagine if he found out he was right. She'd never hear the end of it.

"If you're sure…" Jack said cautiously.

Suddenly an alarm sounded downstairs.

"Rift activity!" Toshiko called. Gwen and Jack rushed downstairs.

"What is it, Tosh?" Jack asked.

"I don't know, but it seems to be alive- not just another useless piece of junk."

"Finally! Something decent!" Owen snorted.

"Can you get a fix on it?" Jack asked, his excitement growing.

"Yeah- hang on. It's somewhere at the end of Kirkby court." Jack looked at Gwen, who grinned.

"We'll cover it. See you guys later!" Jack led the way out through the cog door, upstairs, outside and into the SUV. Gwen leapt into the passenger seat, all signs of being sleep-deprived gone. She loved the thrill of the chase, and god she'd missed it. She felt guilty for thinking it, but this was better than any holiday- she was back where she belonged.

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A/N: Well, that was survivable, wasn't it? If you're reading this then obviously you survived, so congratulations.

Any reviews/feedback/whatever they call it would be AMAZING- I won't be offended if you criticise me in the slightest. Any advice I'll **definitely **take on board, especially as I'm new and need all the help I can get! :3

COMING SOON... The next chapter. Hopefully. If I can drag myself to my laptop and convince myself to get on with it.


	2. Chapter 2: A house and some stairs

Thanks quys for the reviews, favourites and follows! It might not seem like much, but when i check my e-mails and see a whole lot of alerts telling me people are reviewing and following my story it gives me a huge morale boost! It's motivated me to get cracking, and i'll definitely keep writing this story so long as i can think of ways to draw it out. :3

So here goes... Chapter 2!

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Jack swerved to a stop in Kirkby court. Gwen and Jack hopped out of the car, and checked their comms were still on and working.

"Tosh, you hear us?"

"Loud and clear, Gwen. Get in there and tell us what we're dealing with. I've got a more definite fix now- the house at the very end." Jack led the way to the house in question. It was three levels high, with a roof not as slanted as those around it. There was a strange point in the centre of the roof on the roadside, and the front outside wall was two-toned; Brick in the middle and white render on the two ends. The front was scattered with windows arranged like m&ms on a cupcake, and all either had their curtains drawn or were boarded up. Jack & Gwen drew their guns.

"Geebers. This place looks creepy." Gwen said, a shiver creeping up her spine.

"Ready?" Jack asked. A gleam appeared in Gwen's eyes. Jack smiled.

"Oh yes." Jack tried the door; locked.

"Why are they always _locked?!_" Gwen cried in exasperation as Jack shot the lock and the door was released. Gwen pushed the door open and moved past jack, gun held in front of her. With quick, swift movements she moved from the entrance room into the hallway.

"You take the right, I take the left." She said. Jack raised an eyebrow. It had always been a thing between them as to who was to take charge. He did as she said anyway.

"Clear!"

"Clear!" Gwen did one last sweep of the room, when something suddenly hit her from behind. She jumped and spun around, finger on the trigger.

"Jack?" Jack was facing her, in the exact same position as her. They both dropped their guns, and burst out laughing.

"Bloody hell, Jack! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Well I knew I was good looking, but I've never shocked someone with my amazing looks _that _much before…" He smirked.

"Cut it out, Jack. Come on, we need to check upstairs." Jack never ceased to amaze her with the amount of times he could flirt in one day. She wouldn't have thought it was humanely possible… but then again, she didn't even know for sure if Jack _was _human. Come to think of it, she didn't know much about him at all_._ He was a man of his secrets… They reached the top of the stairs, Jack going left, Gwen going right. She stepped cautiously… a shadow moving in the far back left corner grasped her attention immediately.

"Tosh? You there?" She said into her comm. No reply. Huh. She made sure nothing was behind her, and advanced into the dark corner. There was nothing here, apart from a wardrobe.

She knew, rationally, that opening a wardrobe in a dark corner of an abandoned house that possibly had an alien in it-_especially _when her immortal boss was somewhere on the other side of the house-would be a completely stupid thing to do. Her mind thought otherwise and willed her forwards, however, and she opened the doors. She cried out and fell to the ground; the agony! Something was in her mind, carving its'way inside. Memories resurfaced which she had long since buried or never thought about… losing her first tooth and putting it in a glass of water for the 'tooth fairy', her first day of high school, drinking in a bar after breaking up with her boyfriend, waking up in her hallway with her friends and no memory of the night before, being posted with Andy on her first shift as a real police officer. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she became overwhelmed and fell into unconsciousness, and the wardrobe doors sealed themselves up.

"Gwen? Gwen!" Jack ran to the lifeless form of Gwen on the floor. Oh, god. What had happened?! He put two fingers to her neck; she had a pulse. He put his face near hers, and felt her warm breath on his face. He sighed. She was alive. He cursed himself for letting her check out this side of the house alone. He had been gone all of 2 minutes; how could someone manage to get themselves unconscious in that amount of time?!

He stood back up, and checked every cavity in the room. Nothing. He glanced down the hallway; still nothing. Whatever had done this was well on its' way out of here by now. He pondered going after it, but if he left Gwen by herself there was a possibility creature would return… and finish her off properly this time. He shuddered at the thought, and decided to stick with Gwen. He pressed the button on his comm.

"Tosh?" No reply. Damn, curse Tosh and Owen. He gingerly scooped Gwen up in his arms, lest she be bruised or be injured in any other way; he didn't want to aggravate any injuries that she might have and which were concealed by her clothing. He carried her downstairs, and tried his comm again.

"Tosh! Are you there?!"

"Jack! Thank god!" Tosh's relieved voice came through.

"Tosh! Why didn't you answer me before? You know the deal- stay on the comms at _all times _when we're checking out an alien area."

"But Jack, I _was _on the comms. You just vanished; I couldn't trace you at all. You ceased to _exist_ for the last 10 minutes!" Jack frowned.

"I'm getting out of here; I don't like the sound of that. I'll come back later with some proper equipment. Gwen's unconscious, Tosh; get Owen in the medical bay. I'm on my way back." Jack carried Gwen back out to the SUV and laid her down gently on the back seat. He dashed around to the drivers' seat, started the ignition and started heading back to the hub. He was worried about Gwen; it pained him every time he put her at risk. He should've been with her, at her side. He should've watched her back, and protected her. The guilt stabbed at his heart. He had no idea what had happened to her, but one thing was for certain; an alien had done it.

And he was going to get them back.

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A/N: I would've made this chapter longer, as it's such good fun typing away at this story! I'll procrastinate all I want, but once I get my music going and get into the right headspace I can type for a solid hour or two. Most of what I type is complete gibberish, but once I go back through it, polish it up and make it readable it turns out to be alright. So a huge thanks to anyone who reads this, and please, please review! I really do love reading your feedback! :D


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